We don’t see air-cooled 911s in restorable project form with the words “No Reserve” all that often anymore. This 1980 911 SC Targa looks like the perfect candidate for a light restoration – translation, fix the rust, rebuild the motor / interior / suspension and drive as-is. The seller frequently has 911s of this vintage for sale but this one seems fairly priced for what it is. Find it here on eBay with bidding at $5,500 and five days left in the auction.
The paint is quite faded and the sun-scorched Targa roof panel reminds me of cars that have sat outdoors in the Arizona sun for too long. The car is now located in Ohio, but I’ll bet the history report reveals it to be a western states car before that. The seller says it was off the road for many years due to a restoration that never commenced, and it appears some level of disassembly occurred before the project stalled. The body shows plenty of signs of wear but rust is said to be limited to holes in the rear passenger floor.
I can’t quite tell what happened in the interior. The carpet has been stripped out, but the seat bottoms have also completely disappeared while the seat backs remain practically untouched. My first thought was that a fire had gutted the interior (and I’m not ruling that out) but even that fails to explain why the seat backs front and rear have no visible scorching or other cosmetic blemishes. It will likely be cheaper to simply source some period-correct Recaros or Scheels at this point, along with an OEM steering wheel.
The 911’s 3.0L flat-six doesn’t run but will turn over by hand. The seller claims it is numbers-matching and a Certificate of Authenticity is in the mail. This Targa may actually wear the mileage that’s on the odometer (110,000) based on the driver-quality condition, but that doesn’t change the fact the interior looks like it belongs in a car with 300K on the clock. It will be interesting to see where bidding ends up for a 911 model that would have been largely ignored in this condition ten years ago.
Pass.
More cost effective to buy a runner and put your money into a rust-free option that hasn’t been neglected.
Dear PorscheFinds.com,
I’m a big fan of the Grocery Getter 911 that has four doors. Would it ruin the value of this car to convert it to ‘more doors’ and put a turbo whale tail on it?
What it the approved rust converter to use on Porshes? Does it void the warranty?
It almost appears as though the bottom of the car was in some sort of corrosive, caustic solution of some sort. How do seat frames and springs rust away? The whole floor looks like it needs replacement.
You mean like salt water, Grant? I concur…
The salt water theory makes sense but then they might have been to a Texas Chili cookoff….
I think it belonged to a submarine captain….
Flood Car? That interior is has a story to tell…
At least it’s has all it’s wheels and not sitting on a pallet like so many Porsches we have seen of late. That’s about all I can say about it.
If it goes for under $8000 it might just be worth considering (look, a flying pig!). Otherwise there is just way to much to do on this for the price. Most of the interior trim will need refurbishing. There’s also a shed-load of work to do on the shell, and the motor has a huge question mark over it. I’d be willing to bet that it will go for some ridiculous price. There seems to be a growing group of people out there who see the word “Porsche” and happily throw their brain in the trash bin!
engine 10k,interior 6k,paint 8k buy the best car you can find around 26-28k and save yourself.
I think the paint will buff out…. .
I think seats look comfy!
Those seats are great for non sweat seat similar to the one with cold air that flow through them.
“This 1980 911 SC Targa looks like the perfect candidate for a light restoration – translation, fix the rust, rebuild the motor / interior / suspension and drive as-is.”
I believe “light restoration” is a gross understatement.